English Original
There was a man who had fine houses, both in town and country, a deal of silver and gold plate, embroidered furniture, and coaches gilded all over with gold. But this man was so unlucky as to have a blue beard, which made him so frightfully ugly that all the women and girls ran away from him.
One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. He desired of her one of them in marriage, leaving to her choice which of the two she would bestow on him. They would neither of them have him, and sent him backward and forward from one another, not being able to bear the thoughts of marrying a man who had a blue beard, and what besides gave them disgust and aversion was his having already been married to several wives, and nobody ever knew what became of them.
Bluebeard, to engage their affection, took them, with the lady their mother and three or four ladies of their acquaintance, with other young people of the neighborhood, to one of his country seats, where they stayed a whole week. There was nothing there to be seen but parties of pleasure, hunting, fishing, dancing, mirth, and feasting. Nobody went to bed, but all passed the night in rallying and joking with each other. In short, everything succeeded so well that the youngest daughter began to think the master of the house not to have a beard so very blue, and that he was a mighty civil gentleman.
As soon as they returned home, the marriage was concluded. About a month afterward, Bluebeard told his wife that he was obliged to take a country journey for six weeks at least, about affairs of very great consequence, desiring her to divert herself in his absence, to send for her friends and acquaintances, to carry them into the country, if she pleased, and to make good cheer wherever she was.
"Here," said he, "are the keys of the two great wardrobes, wherein I have my best furniture; these are of my silver and gold plate, which is not every day in use; these open my strong boxes, which hold my money, both gold and silver; these my caskets of jewels; and this is the master-key to all my apartments. But for this little one here, it is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the ground floor. Open them all; go into all and every one of them, except that little closet, which I forbid you, and forbid it in such a manner that, if you happen to open it, there's nothing but what you may expect from my just anger and resentment."
She promised to observe, very exactly, whatever he had ordered; when he, after having embraced her, got into his coach and proceeded on his journey.
Her neighbors and good friends did not stay to be sent for by the new married lady, so great was their impatience to see all the rich furniture of her house, not daring to come while her husband was there, because of his blue beard, which frightened them. They ran through all the rooms, closets, and wardrobes, which were all so fine and rich that they seemed to surpass one another.
After that they went up into the two great rooms, where was the best and richest furniture; they could not sufficiently admire the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking-glasses, in which you might see yourself from head to foot; some of them were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded, the finest and most magnificent ever were seen.
They ceased not to extol and envy the happiness of their friend, who in the meantime in no way diverted herself in looking upon all these rich things, because of the impatience she had to go and open the closet on the ground floor. She was so much pressed by her curiosity that, without considering that it was very uncivil to leave her company, she went down a little back staircase, and with such excessive haste that she had twice or thrice like to have broken her neck.
Coming to the closet-door, she made a stop for some time, thinking upon her husband's orders, and considering what unhappiness might attend her if she was disobedient; but the temptation was so strong she could not overcome it. She then took the little key, and opened it, trembling, but could not at first see anything plainly, because the windows were shut. After some moments she began to perceive that the floor was all covered over with clotted blood, on which lay the bodies of several dead women, ranged against the walls. (These were all the wives whom Bluebeard had married and murdered, one after another.) She thought she should have died for fear, and the key, which she pulled out of the lock, fell out of her hand.
After having somewhat recovered her surprise, she took up the key, locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to recover herself; but she could not, she was so much frightened. Having observed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the blood would not come out; in vain did she wash it, and even rub it with soap and sand; the blood still remained, for the key was magical and she could never make it quite clean; when the blood was gone off from one side, it came again on the other.
Bluebeard returned from his journey the same evening, and said he had received letters upon the road, informing him that the affair he went about was ended to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him she was extremely glad of his speedy return.
Next morning he asked her for the keys, which she gave him, but with such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened.
"What!" said he, "is not the key of my closet among the rest?"
"I must certainly have left it above upon the table," said she.
"Fail not to bring it to me presently," said Bluebeard.
After several goings backward and forward she was forced to bring him the key. Bluebeard, having very attentively considered it, said to his wife, "How comes this blood upon the key?"
"I do not know," cried the poor woman, paler than death.
"You do not know!" replied Bluebeard. "I very well know. You were resolved to go into the closet, were you not? Mighty well, madam; you shall go in, and take your place among the ladies you saw there."
Upon this she threw herself at her husband's feet, and begged his pardon with all the signs of true repentance, vowing that she would never more be disobedient. She would have melted a rock, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Bluebeard had a heart harder than any rock!
"You must die, madam," said he, "and that presently."
"Since I must die," answered she (looking upon him with her eyes all bathed in tears), "give me some little time to say my prayers."
"I give you," replied Bluebeard, "half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more."
When she was alone she called out to her sister, and said to her: "Sister Anne" (for that was her name), "go up, I beg you, upon the top of the tower, and look if my brothers are not coming over; they promised me that they would come today, and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste."
Her sister Anne went up upon the top of the tower, and the poor afflicted wife cried out from time to time: "Anne, sister Anne, do you see anyone coming?"
And sister Anne said: "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which looks green."
In the meanwhile Bluebeard, holding a great sabre in his hand, cried out as loud as he could bawl to his wife: "Come down instantly, or I shall come up to you."
"One moment longer, if you please," said his wife, and then she cried out very softly, "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see anybody coming?"
And sister Anne answered: "I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which is green."
"Come down quickly," cried Bluebeard, "or I will come up to you."
"I am coming," answered his wife; and then she cried, "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou not see anyone coming?"
"I see," replied sister Anne, "a great dust, which comes on this side here."
"Are they my brothers?"
"Alas! no, my dear sister, I see a flock of sheep."
"Will you not come down?" cried Bluebeard.
"One moment longer," said his wife, and then she cried out: "Anne, sister Anne, dost thou see nobody coming?"
"I see," said she, "two horsemen, but they are yet a great way off."
"God be praised," replied the poor wife joyfully; "they are my brothers; I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to make haste."
Then Bluebeard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. The distressed wife came down, and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders.
"This signifies nothing," says Bluebeard; "you must die"; then, taking hold of her hair with one hand, and lifting up the sword with the other, he was going to take off her head. The poor lady, turning about to him, and looking at him with dying eyes, desired him to afford her one little moment to recollect herself.
"No, no," said he, "recommend thyself to God," and was just ready to strike . . .
At this very instant there was such a loud knocking at the gate that Bluebeard made a sudden stop. The gate was opened, and presently entered two horsemen, who, drawing their swords, ran directly to Bluebeard. He knew them to be his wife's brothers, one a dragoon, the other a musketeer, so that he ran away immediately to save himself; but the two brothers pursued so close that they overtook him before he could get to the steps of the porch, when they ran their swords through his body and left him dead. The poor wife was almost as dead as her husband, and had not strength enough to rise and welcome her brothers.
Bluebeard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his estate. She made use of one part of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved her a long while; another part to buy captains commissions for her brothers, and the rest to marry herself to a very worthy gentleman, who made her forget the ill time she had passed with Bluebeard.
中文翻译
从前有一个人，他在城里和乡下都有漂亮的房子，拥有许多金银餐具、绣花家具和通体镀金的马车。但这个人很不幸，长着一把蓝色的胡子，这让他看起来极其丑陋，以至于所有的女人和女孩都躲着他。
他的一位邻居，一位有身份的女士，有两个如花似玉的女儿。他向她求婚，希望娶其中一个为妻，让她决定把哪一个许配给他。两个女儿都不愿意嫁给他，互相推诿，一想到要嫁给一个蓝胡子男人就受不了。此外，让她们感到厌恶和反感的是，他已经娶过好几个妻子，但没人知道她们的下落。
为了赢得她们的好感，蓝胡子带着她们、她们的母亲、三四位相识的女士以及邻里的一些年轻人，去了他的一处乡间宅邸，在那里待了整整一周。那里除了各种娱乐活动——打猎、钓鱼、跳舞、欢宴——别无他物。没有人上床睡觉，整晚都在互相打趣开玩笑。总之，一切进展得非常顺利，以至于小女儿开始觉得，这房子的主人胡子似乎没那么蓝了，而且他是一位非常彬彬有礼的绅士。
他们一回到家，婚事就定了下来。大约一个月后，蓝胡子告诉妻子，他必须去乡下旅行至少六个星期，处理一些非常重要的事务。他希望她在他不在的时候好好消遣，可以邀请她的朋友和熟人，如果愿意，带她们去乡下，无论在哪里都要过得开心。
“给，”他说，“这是两个大衣柜的钥匙，里面放着我的上好家具；这些是存放我金银餐具的钥匙，不常用；这些是开我钱箱的钥匙，里面装着我的金银钱币；这些是我的珠宝匣钥匙；而这是通往我所有房间的总钥匙。但这个小钥匙，是打开一楼长廊尽头那个小密室的。所有的门你都可以打开，所有的房间你都可以进去，除了那个小密室，我禁止你进去。我如此严厉地禁止你，如果你碰巧打开了它，你就等着承受我正当的愤怒和怨恨吧。”
她答应会非常严格地遵守他的命令。他拥抱了她之后，便登上马车启程了。
新婚夫人的邻居和好友们迫不及待地想看她家里所有的豪华家具，根本不用等她邀请。她们不敢在她丈夫在家时来，因为他的蓝胡子让她们害怕。她们跑遍了所有的房间、壁橱和衣柜，每一处都那么精美奢华，似乎一个胜过一个。
之后，她们上楼去了两个大房间，那里有最好最华丽的家具；她们对挂毯、床、长沙发、橱柜、台架、桌子和穿衣镜的数量与精美赞叹不已，这些镜子可以从头到脚照见全身；有些镜框是玻璃的，有些是银的，有素面的也有镀金的，都是前所未见的最精美、最华丽的。
她们不停地赞美和羡慕朋友的幸福，而这位朋友此时却无心欣赏这些富丽堂皇的东西，因为她迫不及待地想去打开一楼的那个密室。好奇心如此强烈地驱使着她，以至于她顾不上考虑撇下同伴是多么不礼貌，就从一个小后楼梯下去了，走得如此匆忙，有两三次差点摔断脖子。
来到密室门前，她停了一会儿，想着丈夫的命令，考虑着如果不服从会带来怎样的不幸；但诱惑如此强烈，她无法抗拒。于是她拿起小钥匙，颤抖着打开了门，但起初因为窗户关着，什么也看不清。过了一会儿，她开始察觉到地板上全是凝结的血块，上面躺着几具女尸，靠墙排列着。（这些都是蓝胡子先后娶来并谋杀的妻子们。）她吓得几乎要死过去，从锁里拔出的钥匙也从手中掉落。
稍稍从震惊中恢复后，她捡起钥匙，锁上门，上楼回到自己的房间想镇定下来；但她做不到，她太害怕了。她注意到密室的钥匙沾上了血迹，试了两三次想擦掉，但血就是擦不掉；她徒劳地清洗，甚至用肥皂和沙子搓洗；血迹依然存在，因为钥匙是有魔力的，她永远无法把它弄干净；当血迹从一边消失，它又会出现在另一边。
蓝胡子当晚就回来了，说他在路上收到了信，得知他处理的事情已经圆满解决。他的妻子竭尽全力让他相信，她对他这么快回来感到非常高兴。
第二天早上，他向她要钥匙，她给了他，但手抖得如此厉害，他轻易就猜到了发生了什么。
“怎么！”他说，“我密室的钥匙不在这里面吗？”
“我肯定是把它忘在楼上的桌子上了，”她说。
“马上给我拿来，不得有误，”蓝胡子说。
来回跑了几趟后，她被迫把钥匙拿给了他。蓝胡子非常仔细地查看后，对妻子说：“这钥匙上怎么有血？”
“我不知道，”可怜的女人哭道，脸色比死人还苍白。
“你不知道！”蓝胡子回答。“我可清楚得很。你打定主意要进那个密室，是不是？很好，夫人；你就进去吧，在你看到的那些女士中间找个位置。”
听到这话，她扑倒在丈夫脚下，用所有真诚悔悟的迹象乞求他的原谅，发誓再也不会不听话了。她是如此美丽和悲伤，足以融化一块岩石；但蓝胡子的心比任何岩石都硬！
“你必须死，夫人，”他说，“而且立刻就得死。”
“既然我必须死，”她回答道（用饱含泪水的眼睛看着他），“给我一点时间做祷告吧。”
“我给你，”蓝胡子回答，“一刻钟的一半，多一秒都不行。”
当她独自一人时，她喊来她的姐姐，对她说：“安妮姐姐”（那是她的名字），“我求你，到塔楼顶上去，看看我的兄弟们是不是来了；他们答应我今天会来的，如果你看到他们，就给他们打个手势让他们快点。”
她的姐姐安妮上了塔楼顶，可怜的痛苦妻子不时喊道：“安妮，安妮姐姐，你看到有人来吗？”
安妮姐姐说：“我只看到太阳，扬起了灰尘，还有看起来绿油油的草地。”
与此同时，蓝胡子手里拿着一把大军刀，尽可能大声地对妻子吼道：“立刻下来，不然我就上去了。”
“再等一会儿，求你了，”他的妻子说，然后她非常轻声地喊道：“安妮，安妮姐姐，你看到有人来吗？”
安妮姐姐回答：“我只看到太阳，扬起了灰尘，还有绿油油的草地。”
“快下来，”蓝胡子喊道，“不然我就上去了。”
“我来了，”他的妻子回答；然后她喊道：“安妮，安妮姐姐，你没看到有人来吗？”
“我看到，”安妮姐姐回答，“一大片尘土，从这边过来了。”
“是我的兄弟们吗？”
“哎呀！不是，我亲爱的妹妹，我看到一群羊。”
“你还不下来吗？”蓝胡子喊道。
“再等一会儿，”他的妻子说，然后她喊道：“安妮，安妮姐姐，你没看到有人来吗？”
“我看到，”她说，“两个骑马的人，但他们离得还很远。”
“感谢上帝，”可怜的妻子高兴地回答道；“他们是我的兄弟们；我会尽力给他们打个手势，让他们快点。”
这时蓝胡子吼得如此大声，整座房子都颤抖了。悲痛欲绝的妻子下来了，扑倒在他脚下，泪流满面，头发披散在肩上。
“这没用，”蓝胡子说；“你必须死”；然后，他一只手抓住她的头发，另一只手举起剑，就要砍下她的头。可怜的夫人转过身来，用垂死的眼神看着他，请求他给她一点时间镇定一下。
“不，不，”他说，“向上帝祈祷吧，”正要砍下去……
就在这一瞬间，门口传来一阵巨大的敲门声，蓝胡子猛地停住了。门开了，立刻进来了两个骑马的人，他们拔出剑，径直冲向蓝胡子。他知道他们是妻子的兄弟，一个是龙骑兵，一个是火枪手，于是他立刻逃跑以求自保；但两兄弟紧追不舍，在他还没跑到门廊台阶前就追上了他，用剑刺穿了他的身体，把他杀死了。可怜的妻子几乎和她的丈夫一样没了生气，没有力气站起来迎接她的兄弟们。
蓝胡子没有继承人，于是他的妻子成了他所有财产的女主人。她用一部分财产为她的姐姐安妮嫁给了一位爱慕她已久的年轻绅士；另一部分为她的兄弟们购买了上尉军衔；剩下的则让她自己嫁给了一位非常可敬的绅士，他让她忘记了与蓝胡子度过的那段糟糕时光。